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Chapter Four

   Tori, Elizabeth, and Samantha had been ranting constantly about a new kid supposedly coming to Brookside.   It's only been two weeks since those three arrived, and already another. Hope bloomed inside Sabrina, but fear ultimately shrivelled the flower. She just had this feeling that the new kid would cause even more trouble than bratzilla and her followers.  The reason they wouldn't stop chirping about it was because they had heard from some unknown source that the news kid was a boy, around our ages. Oh brother! I hate drama and those four will produce a storm of it! Guaranteed. 

I poured feed into Steel's bucket, stopping to stroke his muzzle softly, then moving onto the next horse. When I reached Tempest, I stroked her neck for a while until I heard giggling and whispering, then I scurried off to the tack room to return the feed buckets. These past few weeks I had kept myself on the down low, determined to not bash Tori's face in. Getting in trouble with Mrs. Joy could mean losing Tempest forever. 

So far, Tempest has behaved good when Tori takes a seat on her. Their jumping is improving and every time I see them, my blood boils. As strange as it is, I haven't seen Tori mistreat poor Tempest, but that might be because whenever Tori rides her, Mrs. Joy is carefully watching. 

I scrub the bridles in the tack room, deep in thought. Cleaning the tack, mucking out stalls, feeding and watering, exercising, ~ all my jobs for the horses that need it.

I hear footsteps and Elizabeth enters the tack room.  I stare her down, but she her makes eye contact with me. What am I? Dirt? One of the lowers. 

After a moment of self pity, I straighten my back. I will become something in this world. Because I work for what I want. Bratzilla and her two followers are rich, and they get whatever they want, but they will never be content.  Maybe not even happy. With that thought, I gulp down my pride and decide to be as nice as possible to the people around me. Even Tori. 

"How's it going?" I smile to Elizabeth. Her eyes meet mine for a mere  moment, and I thought she was about to reply, until Tori and Samantha strut in, and Elizabeth flicks her ginger hair over her shoulder, giving me an icy stare. The three chat for a moment quietly, excitement clear in their hushed whispers before they comb through their shiny hair, straighten their shirts, and fast walk out into the isle. 

I sigh, wondering if I'll ever have friends. 
Nice friends, that is.

Finishing up most of the tack cleaning, I head outside just as a large, cherry bay gelding with pricked ears is led into the barn and taken to a stall. The girls reenter the barn, along with a young man. They bat their eyelashes at him and he smirks, making them all weak in the knees. I narrow my eyes at the them. Cliques. I head past them and to the office to speak with Mrs. Joy about Tempest. Fun. 

~

"Actually, you can have her back. I'm reassigning her to you. Not that Victoria didn't do a good job, because she really has! But she just bought a dark bay warmblood and is going to be boarding him here. Obviously. So anyways."

Sabrina's mouth dropped open. That was easier than expected! 

She threw her arms around Joy and gave her a bear hug. 

"Thank you thank you thank you!" She squealed, then shot out of the office, running all the way to Tempest. 

~

Sabrina could tell that Tempest was more then ready to be on the track again after all that slow, jumping over obstacles. Mrs. Joy wanted Tempest to be a jumper, but Sabrina knew better than her, for once. Running was in Tempest's blood. She loved it. 

Sabrina trotted her down the path to the track, fighting her the whole way. "Easy, girl." Sabrina murmured and patted the silly mares neck. Rapid hoofbeats behind her made her turn on her hip to see Elizabeth cantering down the path towards her, on her horse, Steel. 

Sabrina quickly turned back, focusing on Tempest instead. She had hoped Elizabeth wouldn't say anything, but of course. She did. 

"You're lucky Tori bought a new horse."  Sabrina expected a snarky tone, but Elizabeth only sounded sincere. Sabrina turned her head as the ginger slowed to a jog beside her, matching Tempest's speed.

"Tori can be the devil himself. Sometimes she does things just to get on other peoples nerves. She would have done everything in her power to take Tempest from you."

Elizabeth shook her head sadly, her eyes trained on the track entrance ahead. 

"Why area you talking to me?" Sabrina raised an eyebrow. 

Elizabeth chuckled. "I wanted to see if your half as bad as Tori makes you out to be. Plus, her and Samantha are drooling over Cole. Tori practically knocked me over and said he was hers. I needed to work out Steel anyways. He's a thoroughbred mix. Loves running so I take em' to the track occasionally."

Sabrina nodded, and they entered the track slowly. She pulled back Tempest, who Sabrina could tell was getting anxious and considering bolting. Good thing she had longed her a little as a warm up. 

"Well I better tend to this bottle of lightning before it blows up in my face."  Sabrina laughed, then let Tempest break into a fast canter. The mare tossed her head in protest, pulled on the reins to go faster. Sabrina held her back half a lap, then loosened the reins two notches. Tempest exploded into a bumpy gallop, so fast the Sabrina found herself gritting her teeth. Finally a rythym formed, and Sabrina relaxed, loosening the reins another notch. She could've sworn she heard Tempest's heart beat, like a drum. The mares breathing was heavy an deep, and Sabrina found herself in a dream land, riding on top of the most beautiful animal to ever exist. 

~

Elizabeth's mouth was still open as the two girls made their way back to the equestrian center. 

"That was SO fast..." She gaped, while Sabrina shrugged. Tempest's sweat lathered up and her breathing was still rapid, but the walk back to the stable always cooled her down. 

"She hasn't gone that fast in a while, so I agree. She really has missed it." Sabrina smiled, stroking the mares sopping neck.

"I try not to let her go so fast, but she really enjoys it and all."

"She must! She's amazing!" Elizabeth squealed. 

"I know." Sabrina smirked happily. 

"Oh, by the way, you can call me Liz. We all shorten our names." Liz explained, "Victoria = Tori.   Elizabeth = Liz.    Samantha = Sam."

"Good to know. You can just call me Sabrina. I don't have a nickname."

Elizabeth smirked playfully. "I'll find you one." 

~ 

Photo of Tempest in the media. ⬆